UNIVERSAL APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONFIGURABLY CONTROLLING A HEATING OR COOLING SYSTEM

• US 20110066289A1
• Filed: 10/26/2010
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Comfort Control LP (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Butler, William P., Carey, Steven L., Mueller, Carl J., Lorenz, Thomas B., Evans, Edward B., Vogel, G. Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,643,315 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/276
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 27/004 by varying driving speed
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/77 by controlling the speed of ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

A system controller is disclosed that includes a communication means for transmitting and receiving information from an installed blower motor controller, and a removable memory device connected to the system controller. The removable memory device includes system parameter information stored thereon that relates to the particular heating or cooling system, where the system parameter information includes at least motor related parameters relating to the operation of one or more types of blower motors. The system controller further includes a processor configured to receive via the communication means the communication of identifying information from the blower motor controller that identifies the type of blower motor installed in the system. The processor is configured to retrieve motor related parameters corresponding to the specific identified blower motor controller from the memory device, and to send said corresponding motor related parameters to the blower motor controller.

Claims

1. A system for controlling the operation of a heating or cooling system that includes a system controller and a component controller for controlling operation of a blower motor, the system comprising:

a communication device through which the component controller is configured to transmit signals and to receive signals; and

a component controller for controlling a blower motor, the component controller being configured to transmit, via the communication device, data signals that include information identifying the component controller for the blower motor that is installed in the heating or cooling system;

a system controller having a local memory in which system parameter information relating to the heating or cooling system is stored, said system parameter information including motor related parameters corresponding to various types of blower motors, the system controller being configured to send motor related parameters to the component controller for the blower motor to thereby provide the motor related parameters corresponding to the component controller for the blower motor installed in the heating or cooling system, for use in controlling operation of the blower motor;

wherein upon replacement of the component controller for the blower motor, the replacement component controller is configured to receive the configuration data from system controller.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the motor-related parameters that include at least one motor-related parameter corresponding to at least one type of blower motor installed in the heating and cooling system.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the system controller is configured to request the operation of the blower motor through the communication of one or more command signals to the component controller for controlling the blower motor, where each command signal includes embedded therein parameter information that is specific to the component controller and blower motor installed in the heating and cooling system, which information is required to operate the blower motor.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the system controller requests the operation of the blower motor at a particular airflow in terms of cubic feet per minute (CFM), by communicating command signals to the component controller for controlling the blower motor, where the command signals include embedded therein the requested CFM and parameter information that is specific to the component controller and blower motor installed in the heating and cooling system which is required for establishing blower motor operation at the requested CFM.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the component controller for the blower motor that is installed includes a manufacturer identification number associated with the type of blower motor.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said identifying information includes the horsepower rating of the installed blower motor.

7. The system of claim 3 wherein the component controller includes a memory device on which system parameter information is stored, to thereby retain the specific parameter information in the event that the installed system controller requires replacement with another system controller.

8. A system for controlling the operation of a heating or cooling system that includes a system controller and a component controller for controlling operation of a blower motor, the system comprising:

a communication device through which the component controller is configured to transmit signals and to receive signals; and

a component controller for controlling a blower motor, the component controller being configured to transmit, via the communication device, data signals that include information identifying the component controller for the blower motor that is installed in the heating or cooling system;

a system controller having a local memory in which system parameter information relating to the heating or cooling system is stored, the system controller being configured to receive configuration data including motor related parameters from the component controller for the blower motor and to store the motor related parameters corresponding to the component controller for the blower motor in a memory associated with the system controller;

wherein upon replacement of the component controller for the blower motor, the replacement component controller is configured to receive the stored configuration data including motor related parameters from the system controller.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the motor-related parameters that include at least one motor-related parameter corresponding to at least one type of blower motor installed in the heating and cooling system.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the system controller is configured to request the operation of the blower motor through the communication of one or more command signals to the component controller for controlling the blower motor, where each command signal includes embedded therein parameter information that is specific to the component controller and blower motor installed in the heating and cooling system, which information is required to operate the blower motor.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the system controller requests the operation of the blower motor at a particular airflow in terms of cubic feet per minute (CFM), by communicating command signals to the component controller for controlling the blower motor, where the command signals include embedded therein the requested CFM and parameter information that is specific to the component controller and blower motor installed in the heating and cooling system which is required for establishing blower motor operation at the requested CFM.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the information identifying the component controller for the blower motor that is installed includes a manufacturer identification number associated with the type of blower motor.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said identifying information includes the horsepower rating of the installed blower motor.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the component controller includes a memory device on which system parameter information is stored, to thereby retain the specific parameter information in the event that the installed system controller requires replacement with another system controller.

15. A system for controlling the operation of a heating or cooling system that includes a system controller and at least one component controller with a memory thereon, the system comprising:

a system controller, having a local memory associated with the system controller in which system parameter information relating to the heating or cooling system is stored, said system parameter information including a plurality of operational parameters corresponding to a plurality of types of heating or cooling system components, where the plurality of operational parameters include at least one operational parameter relating to the operation of at least one specific heating or cooling system component;

a communication device through which the system controller is configured to transmit signals to at least one component controller and to receive signals from at least one component controller;

at least one component controller for controlling at least one component of the heating or cooling system, the at least one component controller having a memory thereon; and

wherein the system controller is configured to receive via the communication device a data signal from the at least one component controller that includes information relating to operational parameters for the type of component controller for the at least one system component that is installed in the heating and cooling system, said system controller being configured to store in a local memory the received operational parameters corresponding to the component controller for the at least one system component, whereby the specific operational parameters stored by the system controller are retrievable for communication to a replacement component controller in the event that the at least one component controller is replaced.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the component controller comprises a blower motor controller for a blower motor, and the plurality of types of system components comprise a plurality of types of blower motors, and the plurality of operational parameters comprise a plurality of motor-related parameters that include at least one motor-related parameter corresponding to at least one type of blower motor.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the system controller is configured to request the operation of the blower motor through the communication of one or more command signals to the blower motor controller for controlling the blower motor, where each command signal includes embedded therein parameter information that is specific to the blower motor controller and blower motor installed in the heating and cooling system, which information is required to operate the blower motor.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the system controller requests the operation of the blower motor at a particular airflow in terms of cubic feet per minute (CFM), by communicating command signals to the blower motor controller for controlling the blower motor, where the command signals include embedded therein the requested CFM and parameter information that is specific to the blower motor controller and blower motor installed in the heating and cooling system which is required for establishing blower motor operation at the requested CFM.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the component controller comprises a controller for an air conditioning system that includes a memory, which controls the components of a compressor and fan motor of the air conditioning system, and the plurality of types of a specific system components comprise a plurality of sizes of the components, and the plurality of operational parameters include at least one parameter corresponding to the tonnage of the compressor.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the component controller includes a memory device on which parameter information of at least one other component controller is stored, to thereby retain the parameter information in the event that the at least one other component controller requires replacement.